


Respite

by orphan_account



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Angst, F/M, Humour, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-30 12:43:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10163276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: They've been headed towards this for a long time, ever since Ellie made a habit of showing up at his house past midnight.





	

It had taken them weeks of slow, awkward fumbling to get to this point. They’d tripped along chaste kisses goodbye, sweaty hand touches and the occasional snog and now finally, _finally,_  Alec's fingers were fumbling with the zip of her trousers. 

She was on his couch, and he was practically on top of her. Flushed and prickling with heat from the solid weight of him, she refused to let him surface for air, keeping him pressed close as they shared deep kisses. The zip came down; he popped the button next, and almost with a sense of triumph he inched his way under her waistband.

Ellie shifted her hips, encouraging his bold enterprise. _One small step for man…_  

She hadn’t expected tonight to be the night, and it was with a sinking heart that she recalled the pair of sexy black knickers she'd so optimistically bought were currently in her underwear drawer; upon her person she wore her old beige knickers with the bung elastic.

It was a blow, but as a wave of heat surged through her she decided she didn't care and, probably, neither did Alec. 

Suddenly emboldened, she broke the kiss and drew back. Alec froze, looking at her for guidance, his hand still down her pants.

‘Do you have a condom?’ she asked. She was panting, and she ran her tongue over her lips, scratched and swollen from his prickly beard. 

She could practically hear the snap and crackle of his brain’s electrochemistry as he processed this sentence.

‘Uh. Yeah.’

‘Go get one.’

She didn’t need to ask twice. He sprang up, but didn’t get far before he doubled back to lean over her and deliver three more kisses. Then he disappeared into the bathroom.

Ellie exhaled deeply and sat up. She tossed her long hair over her shoulders and unbuttoned her shirt, casting it aside just as Alec came back.

‘You didn’t need to bring the whole box,’ Ellie said dubiously.

Alec said nothing, only tossed the box onto the coffee table, pulled his shirt over his head and dove back on top of her. She was about to make the suggestion that they move to the bed, but then his hand was down her pants again and – well, if he wanted to do it here, so be it. There were worse places to have a first shag.

 _Pleasantly furry_ was the description that came to mind as she ran her hands over his brown torso. She’d always been quite fond of chest hair and Alec was not lacking in that department. It was soft and felt good to rake beneath her fingers. She pinched one of his nipples and felt him spasm. 

Alec’s hands roamed urgently, and she felt them scrabble against her bra. She could tell he was struggling, and decided to put him out of his misery. 

‘Wait,’ she mumbled, shuffling back. ‘Hang on – it unclasps from the front. Let me…’

She sat up and he gave her some space, watching as she reached for the clasp at the front. She only freed one of the hooks when he reached out and took over, unclasping the second and third hook himself.

He suddenly made eye contact with her, and a smile split his face, a stupidly endearing, slightly embarrassed, adoring smile that she returned. Colour rose to her cheeks. Both of them were a little shy, but both of them wanted this, and had for some time - maybe for years. The thought made her head spin. She shrugged off the bra and Alec cupped her breasts in his hands, rolling them firmly and pinching the nipples between thumb and forefinger.

‘Didn’t realise your tits were this big,’ Alec grunted. He was having a whale of a time playing with them.

‘Is that really the only compliment you’re going to give me?’

‘I love your hair.’

‘Better.’

‘You’re beautiful.’

‘Bingo! He got there, ladies and gents. Give the boy a pony.’ 

Probably from nervousness, she was a little squirmy under his hands, and it took considerable effort to keep her still so he could work his fingers inside her. She sighed when she felt that first dip of his fingers, then he withdrew so he could circle her clit.

‘Oh, hurry up and get my trousers off,’ she said, and he hastily obeyed. Her trousers and knickers both came off without him so much as registering what they looked like, and she felt gratified that her fears about her underwear had been unfounded. Trust Alec to miss those kinds of details.

She undid his own trousers next, and he pulled back to kick them off. In his urgency, he almost tripped.

‘Wait,’ Ellie said, stifling her giggles as he tried to kiss her again. ‘Wait.’

‘What?’

She pointed. ‘You’ve still got your socks on. I can’t take you seriously if you’ve got socks on.’

He looked down and saw that he had indeed forgotten to take them off. A wry smile tweaked Alec’s lips as he pulled the offending articles off, even though he didn't quite understand her amusement.

‘Better?’ 

‘I can smell your stinky feet now.’

 Alec’s lips grazed her neck. He settled on top of her, warm and pleasantly heavy, his fingers ghosting down her body. He brushed her entrance and worked two fingers inside her. ‘You’re not doing much to help my self-esteem.'

She sighed, fluttering under his fingertips. ‘All right. You have a great cock,’ she said, closing her hand around the shaft and stroking up and down, just getting used to the feel of him.

‘Ungh. Thanks.’

‘Grab a johnny, will you?’

He scrambled up the couch and reached over to where he’d left the box, nearly smothering Ellie in the process. She started laughing again.

‘Why’d you put them so far away?’

‘I'm a bit...' he grunted. 'You did take me by surprise, you know. Showing up at my door unannounced.'

'You took me by surprise when you jumped me on the couch.' She took the condom from him and opened it with her teeth. 

'You're the one who kissed me.'

She rolled the condom on. 'You have to admit this is a long time coming.'

He didn't answer and she settled back, spreading her legs around him. He dipped his head, kissed her breasts, and shuffled forward, then – _yesss…_

He felt every bit as good as she’d hoped, and an involuntary whine escaped her as he pushed deep inside her. She pulled his hair and sucked on his neck as he started to fuck her, and slowly her hand crept down to touch her clit at the same time. She saw the look in his eyes when he felt that, and at the strangled sound he made she thought he was going to come then and there.

‘Gonna give me beard rash,’ she complained in a mumble as he began to kiss her. She felt him press a smile into the corner of her mouth, and broke off to scratch his beard over her cheek and brow. She yelped, then retaliated by grasping his buttocks and pulling him sharply forward, while raising her hips to meet him, making him give out a heady groan.

‘Harder now,’ she asked, and he obliged. She could tell he wasn’t going to last much longer, so she increased the rhythm on her clit. When he squeezed her breasts and got his fingers on her nipples a throaty gasp escaped her and she came with soft cry, pulling him close with one hand and panting against his clavicle.

Entranced by the expression on her face, he nudged her until she looked at him. Shivering, Ellie pressed her forehead to his and rocked her hips in time with his thrusts. He had such beautiful eyes, she thought, and she regarded those eyes with a curious intensity that made him shudder. Brown, dark brown and beautiful, and most importantly, not blue. She watched every subtle flicker and change in expression as he came.

He collapsed on top of her, breathing hard, and she clasped him to her, humming as she ran her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp in lazy circles. 

After perhaps a minute, Alec got up. She whined at the separation and he threw the condom in the bin.

‘You – uh, do you want to stay the night?’ he asked as he reached for his t-shirt.

A disgruntled look fell over her. ‘You’re not kicking me out now.’

He nodded. ‘I’ll get you something to wear.’

He stood up, pulled his boxers and t-shirt on, and walked into his bedroom. He returned with an oversized blue work shirt.

‘This really all you have?’ she asked, pulling it on.

‘All that’ll fit.’

'Why do you not own PJs? I know you don't sleep, but still...'

He watched her for a few seconds, then said, ‘you – uh, you wanna to go to bed?’

‘Mm. No.’ She flopped back along the couch and hid her hands in the long sleeves of Alec's shirt. A delicious floaty sensation had gripped her limbs and she feared it would go away if she moved.

He surveyed the scene. ‘Kay,’ he said. He sat next to her. ‘Scooch.’

She rolled over and he bundled in behind her. He fumbled for the blanket that had been discarded nearby and pulled it over both of them. He ran his hand down her arm and tangled his fingers with hers. His breath tickled her ears. The two of them fell into a rhythmic breathing, and Alec began to doze.

A contented smile fell over Ellie’s face. This was nice.

This was really nice.

So naturally, she started to cry.

She placed her arm over her eyes to try and muffle the sobs. Alec noticed. She felt him jerk up in alarm.

‘Mm?’ he asked.

A hand settled on her arm, drawing it away from her face to reveal her wet eyes. Alec cupped her face, his thumb swiping the moisture from her cheek. He didn’t say anything, just watched her anxiously.

‘Forgot how nice it could be,’ she tried to explain with a smile, and promptly burst into a fresh flood of tears. Before the sobs robbed her of speech completely, she managed to say, ‘been so long. And… last time it was nice – was – with…’

The name lodged in her throat like a bone with jagged edges. It cut, burrowed in deep, and stopped her breathing.

‘S’okay,’ Alec said. He rolled her over and gathered her close to him, rubbing her arm. ‘Y’don’t need to think about him anymore.’

Ellie kept her eyes downcast and crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive gesture. She felt excruciatingly vulnerable; all her walls had come crashing down at once, but Alec didn't seem interested in exploiting it. He stroked her hair, made tiny little touches here and there, until, with a sigh, she nestled up to him, breathed in that peculiar smell of his, and with one tortured exhale expelled Joe from her lungs. 

‘Just feel so dirty,’ she mumbled.

‘Y’not.’

‘Why did he have to choose me?’ she asked brokenly.

Alec hesitated, not trusting himself to speak.

‘I researched it. I read that – that paedophiles will marry women and have kids with them, just to abuse their kids.’ Ellie swallowed hard. ‘I couldn't believe... there are so many monsters out there, using women… how can they _do_ that? Deliberately target the vulnerable, their own wives - own children...’

She was quiet for a moment. ‘It was Joe who pushed us to try for Fred,’ she confessed. ‘I was happy with one. Wanted to focus on my career, and…’ she took his hand and guided it down until he was touching the knotty scar tissue across her abdomen, ‘there were complications, too. Wasn’t sure I wanted to risk a second pregnancy. Joe insisted.’ 

There was another fearful pause.

‘I think he wanted to have Fred because Tom was getting too old for him.’ She searched Alec’s brown eyes. ‘Tell me I’m crazy,’ she begged.

Alec hesitated. He began stroking her hair with a sense of unease. He wanted to console her, but it was an affliction of his that he could not lie to her, not even to spare her pain. ‘Y’not,’ he replied.

Ellie sighed and turned her head aside. He gently bumped his forehead against hers and grunted. ‘M’sorry.’ 

‘Why me?’ she asked pitifully. ‘Why Danny? Why my children? Why did he choose us?’

‘You know I don’t have the answers.’

‘I know… but it makes me feel better… just talking. I’ll never forget that if it weren’t for you, I’d still be married to that monster. If you’d not caught him, who knows what he might have done to Tom or - or F-Fred.’

She gasped out the last word, and her face twisted in pain as she thought of her dear little one, so small and vulnerable – who had been alone, all day, every day, with _him._

‘It’s not fair,’ Alec murmured. ‘It’s not fair that one man can do all this to you – that one man could do that to Trish – destroying lives like this…’ 

He held her fiercely, and dipped his head until his nose was in her hair, breathing in the smell of cheap shampoo and the briny tang of the ocean that had become entangled in her locks.

‘Sorry I brought that up,’ she said.

‘You don’t need to apologise. You've got nothing to be sorry for.’

A little shivery tremor rocked her from head to toe. He took advantage of the subtle movement to wrap her up tightly, folding her into his embrace until they melded so seamlessly she couldn’t tell where she ended and he began. They were like two flowing columns of script, only telling a complete story when pressed into this impossibly perfect whole. 

 

Ellie thought, but did not say, _I love you._  


End file.
